Dystopia and Utopia: Two Different Worlds
by MangaFanXD
Summary: Dystopia is a cold, dark world full of catastrophes. Utopia is perfect, with perfect people. Two people from these two worlds meet, and what they experience and discover will change their worlds forever.
1. Dystopia

She was alone, slowly blowing her breath out in the frosty air. Snowflakes danced around her, cartwheeling through the wind and landing softly on the piles of snow. She shuffled in her large coat and hat along the sidewalk. The snow wasn't impressive anymore. In fact, it wasn't even the least bit fascinating. Amu trudged to the buildings, where the heat offered some relief from the everlasting cold.

She lived in a place called Dystopia.

When Amu woke up in the mornings, the birds weren't singing, the sun wasn't shining, the sky was painted a gray color, but worst of all, it had been like this ever since she could remember. Every day consisted of heavy coats and hurrying along roads to the next heated building. Nobody stayed outside to watch or play with the snow, not even the children. Snow was polluted with gray smog.

She hated it. She hated living in this place. She wanted to get away, to escape.

Amu was the only person she knew who walked slowly. Everybody else hurried. What was the point? To just live your life hurrying would be pointless. Light never shone through the gray clouds that dominated their lives. There was no light except for the artificial lights that everyone used.

Dystopia was gray, dark, and cold.

Her wispy, pink hair blew around her in strands, softly brushing her cheeks in the cold. She had a job, but she wouldn't go today. She would break from routine and escape Dystopia.

* * *

Like it? Please review and check out The Cat. I might take it off life support soon/pull the plug.

IMPORTANT: If you like this story, please review--that way I know that you're voting for it. If just 5 people review, I keep going.

(Utopia is coming up--Ikuto!)


	2. Utopia

* * *

OK! Just so you know, Dystopia is an actual word. So is utopia (perfect world). I tried to imagine Amu and Ikuto in these worlds and Utopia is an ancient Greek-ish place (warm) and Dystopia is a modern, polluted city (cold). They're like perfect and wrong, two contrasting worlds--sort of like heaven and h***, if you will. I don't like swearing. Yeah. I really like how the first chapter turned out so I'm continuing, even though only two people reviewed. Thank you broken-paige and SanctuaryDefinition!

* * *

He sighed, his breath steaming up the already hot meeting room. His robes grazed the floor, slowly dragging along as he walked to the front of the room.

After arguing with Aristotle about philosophy and politics, he went home. Servants offered him food and wine, but he refused and strolled out the door in casual clothes to the marketplace.

"Ikuto!" his father called. "Where are you going? You have to go to another public debate!"

He lived in a place called Utopia.

Ikuto didn't answer, quickly shuffling down the road to the border of ancient Greece. This was the hubbub of the city, the place all the common folk went to trade and buy.

When Ikuto woke up in the mornings, the sun was already beating down on the house, although the indoor garden and caged birds offered shade and sound.

In Utopia, perfection was everywhere. Everything was measured down to the last precise inch, and those who were imperfect in the smallest way (even the smallest mole) could be cast out and sent to where the other common folks were.

Not that Ikuto pitied them, of course. He longed to be among them, free to be imperfect and free amidst the stifling rules. He could suffocate in the warm summers spent in the debates and meeting room. Everyone expected him to be perfect. It was Utopia, after all.

Ikuto always had to be hurrying to the next political position, meeting room, or debate, and he wasn't allowed to talk. He wasn't allowed freedom to pause.

He hated it. He hated living in this place. He wanted to get away, to escape.

Utopia was green, bright, and perfect.

Slowly, he reached the marketplace, his hair sticking to his neck with sweat in the heat. He had a debate, but he wouldn't go today. Ikuto glanced beyond the marketplace, beyond the commoner's village to which he had sometimes been secretly. Beyond it was a place that thousands of rules forbad political figures and common folks alike to go. He would break from the rules and escape Utopia.

* * *

Tada! I tried to emphasize the similarities between U&D, even though they are drastically different. Notice the sentence structure similarity. I tried to do that, I didn't just lose creativity. There's one line that's almost exactly the same for both Ikuto and Amu ("...hated it....") except for the pronouns. Yeah. In case you haven't figured it out, Dystopia is actually part of Utopia, although far away and unknown to most. They will be related in mysterious ways...*creepy music*

Please review!


	3. The House in the Middle

Yo dudsies! I need y'ins all to review my story, because I can't think of anything to write for chap. 4!!!!

Ikuto: *sarcastic* the horror!

Manga-chan: I know! Plus I need encouragement.

Ikuto: you...

Manga-chan: nobody reviews T_T it's the third chapter and I have six reviews. that's pretty sad. anyways, like i said before, do you want charas in the story? or pm me with your oc profiles and whatnot...

Ikuto: you're pretty pathetic.

Manga-chan: Please review if you want this or The Cat to live!

* * *

Ikuto slowly made his way past the marketplace, making sure he wasn't seen.

Amu stepped off the sidewalk, glancing behind her shoulder.

Ikuto strolled towards the evergreen forest...that didn't belong in Utopia, the tropical paradise.

Amu peered into the distance, towards the forbidden pass to Dystopians.

Ikuto hummed "Man I feel like a woman" somberly under his breath. (Ikuto: I did NOT! Me: But you were humming. Ikuto: Yes, but...wait...)

The snow had gotten less here, although the sickly looking evergreen trees still survived here. Amu pushed aside the branches cautiously (A/N: think Narnia...).

Ikuto would have kept walking, but a hand put itself on his shoulder. "Hey dude," it said. (haha! tricked you, didn't i?)

Ikuto turned around, surprised, then smirked. "Kukai, how nice to see you!" he replied sarcastically.

"What are you doing?" Kukai asked worriedly, his auburn hair sticky with sweat.

"Coming to talk to you, of course. Now let's go to your house before anybody sees me here," Ikuto interjected before Kukai could ask any more.

* * *

They settled down in Kukai's house, Ikuto changing into a T-shirt and Kukai finished showering and drying his hair. (A/N: i changed my mind about the ancient greek thing) "So what's this all about?" Kukai inquired, sitting down with a faint smile.

"What do you mean?" Ikuto fired back, nervous his best friend in this seemingly perfect world would get in trouble for something only Ikuto knew.

"Dude, I know you well enough to know when you're rushing into _something_," Kukai stated matter-of-factly, rolling his eyes.

Ikuto inhaled sharply. (Me: you know how they say that? i don't know how you "inhale sharply"...) "Just--stay out of this, Kukai. I don't need you...butting into my business," he quickly rushed, before he could say "I don't need you getting into trouble because of me."

"Hey, no offense!" muttered Kukai quickly, standing up. "Dude, I just want to know what's going on. Maybe I can help?" he offered.

Ikuto glanced at his friend, and then away. "Don't--you can't help me, Kukai." He brushed off Kukai's wavering hand and walked stiffly out of his friend's house, hurt and bewildered.

After stopping a distance away, he softly whispered, "You're right, Kukai. I want to be free of this place."

* * *

Amu slowly walked into the clearing, seeing a small house there. She pushed her cap, which was falling down, back and decided to knock on the door. After all, this was her day for breaking the rules--why not?

But still her hand stretched hesitatingly and still her breath hitched as she slowly brought herself and her hand closer to the door. She was about to knock when a young teenage voice behind her called, "Hey you!"

Amu snapped her hand and head back as she stood, frozen to the spot. Breathing quickly, she moved again only when jolted out of her trance when the person put their hand on her shoulder. "Get off!" she snapped and charged away, back to her life in snowy Dystopia. She didn't look back to see the auburn hair covering the characteristic grin of the person whose door she had almost knocked on.

He continued grinning, and then painfully aware of the cold, whistled cheerfully as he bustled into his home.

* * *

Amu slowed down as she walked back to her apartment, crowded along a line of dingy buildings. It was in an apartment building at the corner of the street next to a restaurant and a trinket store. The apartment itself didn't speak of much, only worse tenants. Her neighboring apartments contained a drunk in one and a musician in the other. She unlocked the door and surveyed her surroundings with regret. If only... She sighed.

Why did I ever step off the sidewalk? she wondered. My life was so perfect, so routine, so...boring? Yes, that was the word to describe it, she decided as she left the apartment after grabbing a scarf to protect against the chilly wind. I remember why I left, she realized. And she did.

* * *

Amu watched her breath in the chilly air, Ikuto lying idly in his home.

Tomorrow, I will go back.

* * *

Ahaha! XD like it? If you do, please review!

Coming up:

"You can't change my mind now!"

"I'm leaving and I'm NEVER coming back!"

Please review'se if you want to see this fanfic live!


	4. The visitor to the Bookstore Cafe

Ok, so I'm going to introduce a new character!!! and nobody reads this fanfiction anyways (or at least doesn't review), so they probably won't care what I do with it.

Thanks to BlueCat42 for the new OC! And everybody else who reviewed! (Who I think was only ShugoCharaKnight13 or however you write his/her name and Chaillot, Chika, and ic-zphuocc so...)

I'M SO SORRY!!!!! I'm not going to have them meet quite yet...maybe a healthy dose of Kukamu first! :p

ON with the story!

* * *

"You can't change my mind now!" Ikuto yelled at his father, the one who had forced him into this life. "I'm leaving and I'm NEVER coming back!"

Then again, Ikuto reflected, it may have been a bit much to say _never_, as he now found himself in a predicament without clothes, career, or most importantly without a house. So, no life either.

"Where do I go now?" he muttered to himself. And of course, it started to rain. In Utopia, rain was considered a necessary evil, something that was needed only for the crops to grow. It was something that ruined their perfect paradise, something that didn't belong in Utopia.

And until today, Ikuto had felt that way too. And it bothered him, that something so insignificant was hated by the people because it disturbed their environment. But did hate belong in Utopia either? Was a world without hate really a world? He shook his head. Too deep thoughts.

* * *

Amu bounded into her friend's shop, one of the bookstores/cafes being fast driven to extinction. She ambush-glomped (a/n: Geeks Leaping Onto Many People: GLOMP!!!) her friend and laughed.

Aoi shook her head at Amu (a/n: i just want to clarify--aoi is the same age as amu, which is about 16 or 17...). "Hinamori Amu, one of these days you'll regret that...tsk, tsk, tsk."

Putting her hands on her hips, Amu stuck her tongue out at Aoi and turned around to help her put boxes on the shelves. Aoi snuck up behind Amu and tickled her rib cage with her ice cold hands.

Amu shrieked. "MIYATCHI AOI!!!! Don't you DARE ever do that again!"

Aoi wagged her finger at Amu. "My dear Amu-chan, revenge is always a dish best served cold," she mocked with an accent.

"Ha. Ha. Ha," Amu laughed sarcastically. "Now why are your hands so cold?"

Aoi bowed her head, hiding her crystal grey eyes. "You know, because...Dystopia is cold, everyone feels it," she mumbled, twisting a lock of her long, glossy black hair around her finger.

"Come. On," Amu said, sitting down and crossing her legs. "You ALWAYS play with your hair when you're nervous. What's up?"

Suddenly, the shop's antique bell tinkled in the doorway, indicating that somebody entered the shop.

"Brr!" she exclaimed, taking off her gloves. "Now, who's the shopkeeper here? I want a cup of hot chocolate!" she said crossly.

Amu looked up, uncrossing her arms (Amu: i wasn't aware my arms were crossed in the first place... Me: well, they were, ok? deal with it.). "Utau!" she exclaimed brightly. Amu raced across the shop and hugged her other friend tightly. Utau grumbled and vainly clutched around for air.

Amu turned back to Aoi, crossing her arms again. "Well? Out with it! I want an answer."

"Answer for what?" Utau asked, now sipping her hot chocolate.

"For, you know...that...thingy...with the..." Amu frowned. "I don't remember. Utau, you made me forget!" Amu whined, lightly punching Utau's arm.

Rolling her eyes, Utau retorted, "Well, it was the least I could do, Amu."

Aoi quietly rearranged the mugs on the countertop, looking down at her hands. When she looked up, she was startled by Utau's violet eyes close to her face.

"Well, have you told her yet?" Utau demanded impatiently.

"Sheesh, what's got your panties all in a bunch?" Amu muttered, not paying attention to the conversation at hand and picking up a broom.

"T-told who what?" Aoi stammered, stepping away from Utau's frown.

"Ach!" Utau gestured with her hands with obvious frustration, trying not to attract Amu's attention, who was sweeping the dark brown floor. "You know, her, with the thing, about the...the...YOU KNOW what I'm talking about!" Utau burst out.

Aoi murmured, "No. Aah! I just remembered something!" She tucked a loop of hair behind her ear and hurried towards Amu. Amu flushed as they began talking in excited, hushed voices at a table in the corner of the cafe.

The bell tinkled for the umpteenth time that day. Utau groaned and hauled herself over to help the customer, since Aoi and Amu obviously weren't going to. "Ugh, can I help you?" she asked boredly.

It's not even my store, she thought.

"Um, yes," the visitor said, obviously bewildered and appreciative at the same time. "Is there a--" he glanced at something in his hand "--Hinamori Amu here?"

Suddenly, there was an awkward silence as all three girls stared at the customer. "Um, that's me," Amu stammered as she took in the auburn hair and grin, and gasped. "Oh! You're that--that--" She flushed and ran into the back of the store.

Utau raised an eyebrow. "That?" she questioned, turning to look at the object of Amu's obvious astonishment.

"Psh, typical," the guy rolled his eyes. "I take all the trouble of getting here, and the girl won't even get her hat."

"Her hat?" Utau asked, surprised. "You don't even--" she snatched it away. "Have the RIGHT to touch it!"

"Wha--" he asked with a nervous smile.

"What's your name anyways?" interrupted Aoi, who was trying to stop the brewing fight.

"Oh, me?" the visitor asked, pointing at himself.

"Yes, you!"

"Hmm, well. I guess none of you people know me over here anyways."

"Stop stalling and answer the question!" Utau huffed grumpily. "We don't have all day, you know."

"Ok, ok, fine--jeez!"

"What IS your name?" Aoi asked worriedly.

"Why, Kukai, of course."

* * *

Haha, cliffie! I'm so evil.

Me: *evil laughter* muahahaha...

Ikuto: *shivers* now you're just creeping me out...reminds me of tadase in chara change...

Me: I'm so evil...

Ikuto: you're not that evil, you know. It's not even a real cliffie, cuz we all already knew it was coming. you tipped us off yourself.

Me: Yeah, but...*assumes Sherlock Holmes voice* tsk tsk tsk, my dear Ikuto, it's elementary. A simple foreshadowing and you call yourself an actor? Saddening.

Ikuto: yeah, but...wait...*confused, scratches head*

Me: *laughs evilly and demonically in my own corner* Mwahahaha...

Amu: Yo, what's up? What's going on? *looks from Ikuto (scratching head) to me (laughing evilly in corner)*

Ikuto: That's my line...

Read and review to find out!!! Review please! It will be much appreciated.

Thanks for all who reviewed last time and gave me ideas! I promise to try to use them!!! (see, it's complicated...)

And sorry for the a/n last time...but I needed inspiration!

And more Ikuto next chapter...hopefully.


	5. The Secret Keeper

Hello! I'm sorry for not updating in...like two months. However, I was trying to perfect my final vision of the story and the ending. Lame excuse, I know, but at least I have one.

Well, anyways...Ikuto will be appearing in this chapter!!! Hopefully, the secret will be explained too...but I want this to be at least 10 chapters, because I like this storyline so much.

Oh yes...did anyone notice that Kukai appears in Dystopia AND Utopia or did that fact just somehow slip past all you clever readers? By the way, nobody in Utopia/Dystopia knows of the existence of the other world...

Uh...I don't own Shugo Chara. And Shugo Chara Encore! chapter 2 was pretty lame for rimahiko, if you ask me.

* * *

Recap~

"Stop stalling and answer the question!" Utau huffed grumpily. "We don't have all day, you know."

"Ok, ok, fine--jeez!"

"What IS your name?" Aoi asked worriedly.

"Why, Kukai, of course."

End Recap~

"Uh...Okay!" Aoi interrupted cheerily.

"That's a nice...name?" Utau muttered. "What did you do to scare Amu off, anyways?"

Kukai pondered. "I don't know, honestly. I just have her hate."

Utau snatched the hat away. "Don't. Touch. Amu. Ever." She went after Amu into the back of the shop.

Kukai rolled his eyes. "Yeah, cause I was just thinking about touching her."

"Don't even deny it." Aoi added sadly. "Every boy does."

"Why?"

Aoi shook her head. "Oh, I don't know...something about her just seems...different."

"You mean..."

Looking at Kukai solemnly, Aoi nodded. "She has the ability...to change those around her. I mean, look at this."

Kukai looked around at the bookshop cafe, leaning on the countertop. He thought over it. "You're saying that this survived because of her?"

"Exactly. Many customers come just to hear her talk to them, and...I don't know. She has this feeling that everything in the world is right if you think it is.

"But..." Aoi looked around worriedly, "Sometimes I wonder, and worry for her. She seems to me like she's hiding something inside. Some old wound in her heart, and she locked up her heart of hearts. And threw away the key."

Kukai nodded slowly. But something wasn't right about Amu. Something was different, something that didn't belong in this world. "I understand what you mean. But why did she run away?"

Aoi frowned. "Like I said, she's hiding something. Or she can't remember what it is and...I just wish I could help her somehow. I would do anything."

"Anything?" Kukai raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Because she saved me when I was little, when she didn't even know anything about herself, when she had forgotten even that she had a mother and a father." Aoi shook her head slowly, clearing away her thoughts. "But enough said. Would you like coffee?"

* * *

Kukai walked back to his house, sipping his cafe con leche and pondering all that he had learned. He pulled his cap off of his untidy hair and plopped down on a chair. This was even more complicated than he had thought.

His thoughts, however, were brought back to earth as a knock from the opposite side of the house sounded, jerking him out of his chair. Ah, it was raining in Utopia...

"Ikuto?" Kukai brought his shivering, cold friend inside as he shut the door with his foot. "Are you okay?"

"No, I'm not," Ikuto whispered to himself. "Everything is wrong and upside-down."

"What's wrong?" Kukai asked as Ikuto dried himself off. "Talk to me, dude."

They both sat down. "Kukai, I...have to tell you something."

Kukai's eyes widened. "Aha! I knew something was up!" He cackled triumphantly.

Ikuto shook his head. "Kukai...I...I'm gay." (A/N: Haha, tricked you!!!!! Ikuto's not gay.)

Actual line:

Ikuto shook his head. "Kukai...I...I'm not who you think I am."

"What do you mean?"

Sighing, Ikuto explained. "I'm not my father's child, nor am I my mother's child.

"They told me this when I was little, probably to disillusion me young.

"But it changed me, Kukai. I could no longer be the way I was, only keep a facade, a shadow of my previous self.

"I...one day...Utopia's princess." He hesitated. "I couldn't control myself."

"I was hateful of her because she had humiliated me once before, had betrayed my truest friend."

Ikuto looked down at his hands and smiled sadly. "It's hard to believe that...I'm still here today, isn't it? My father--the one that adopted me, I mean--covered everything up.

"I survived, but it hurt me...here." Ikuto closed his eyes and put his hand on his heart. "Everything was wrong."

Kukai leaned forward. "So why are you telling me all this?"

Ikuto glanced at him, confused. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, what happened? What happened to you?"

"I don't--" Another knock interrupted them, this time coming from a small door labelled "Dystopia."

Ikuto glanced at it, confused. "Why--"

Kukai retorted harshly. "Go back, Ikuto. Go back to where you belong."

"But you don't understand. I don't belong anywhere, now."

Kukai considered briefly, then agreed reluctantly. "Then hide!"

Runnning to the door, Kukai opened it and his eyes widened. Not now...

* * *

Oh!!!!! Who is on the other side of the door, I wonder??? And what did Ikuto do to Utopia's princess? Mwahaha, another cliffie!!!

Ikuto: Like I said before, you're just flattering yourself.

Me: Be quiet!! At least I get to control you puppets in my story.

Ikuto: What story?

Me: THIS ONE!!!

Ikuto: Um...

Well anyways, guess what happened? There was a class in our class's classroom, so we all thought we were supposed to go to this one other classroom, and...well, there was no class there and no teacher, either...

Halfway through the class, a teacher comes in and says, "I've been looking for you guys." Right before, people were throwing paper airplanes and whatnot, talking and watching the TV. Right when he opened the door, everything is dead silent.

So it turns out we were supposed to go somewhere else, so the teacher had to speed through the notes.

Now, how funny is that? (Not very, I know, but at least I typed this chapter in one day...)

Click the REVIEW button and review please!!! Questions, comments, criticisms, reviews, suggestions, praise, etc...

Thanks to all the reviewers!


	6. Meeting Ikuto

Hello all!

Has anyone else ever gone through cycles? Like for a period of time you're REALLY active on Fanfiction but then you're not...like withdrawing into a little shell, like the ones hermit crabs have.

Well anyways, I was recently stuck in a Onemanga obsession so didn't really come onto Fanfiction. . I'm just weird that way. XD~

Anyhow, enjoy the story! I realize the story's plot may be a bit...confusing, but that's just the way I roll. I'm sincerely sorry if it confuses you. You can PM me or review, say you're confused, and I'll try to clear up the confusion!

By the way, sorry for the delay. Okay, on ho!

* * *

Recap~

"I don't-" Another knock interrupted them, this time coming from a small door labelled "Dystopia."

Ikuto glanced at it, confused. "Why-"

Kukai retorted harshly. "Go back, Ikuto. Go back to where you belong."

"But you don't understand. I don't belong anywhere, now."

Kukai considered briefly, then agreed reluctantly. "Then hide!"

Runnning to the door, Kukai opened it and his eyes widened. Not now...

End Recap~

Kukai leaned against the doorway, panting slightly from his panicked rush to the door and hide Ikuto. "Hi, Amu."

Amu blushed. "U-um...I j-just wanted t-to say sorry..."

"That's right." Utau called from the background. "And if you don't accept it, I'll be kicking your sorry behind."

Kukai raised his eyebrows, amused. "Well, well...what do we have here? Feisty, Utau."

Utau blew strands of her hair out of her face impatiently. "Well, well," she imitated sarcastically. "Kukai, who should be accepting Amu's apology."

Smiling, Kukai held up his hands. "Hey, hey, calm down."

And then, to Amu: "For what? Why are you apologizing?"

Amu twisted her hands and her scarf around, nervous. "Um...I did run away without explaining myself."

Kukai sighed. "You did, huh...well, that's okay!" He grinned.

Ikuto (A/N: Remember him? He's going to come out of the closet...wait, that came out weird...XD) sighed and rumpled his hair. What was this all about? He couldn't remember ever meeting an Amu, or Utau...who was Kukai, really? Knowing all these girls that he, Ikuto, didn't.

"Hmph." Utau crossed her arms and marched resolutely to the doorway, shaking off the snow on her boots. "Well, at any rate, we're coming in. It's cold outside and you owe us dinner."

Kukai's eyes widened, his smile disappearing. "N-no! You can't come in! It's like...a jungle in here! A pig trough! A dung heap!" he cried, desparately trying to keep Utau from wedging open the door and see Ikuto.

Utau, however, had tremendous strength. (Utau: I do? Me: Well...now you do.) "We're...coming...in...whether...you...like...it...or...NOT!" she pushed against the door with every word and finally opened the door completely.

Kukai and Ikuto both stumbled onto the floor from the impact of the door being wrenched open. Dizzy, both took in the sight of Utau gasping and Amu looking confused, both girls having huge reactions to...well, apparently to the sight of Ikuto.

Am I just that hot? Ikuto thought, smirking in spite of himself and the fact that Utau had just thrown back the two of them.

Utau's face contorted in anger. Her eyes were a mix of fury and sorrow, tears and angers mixing in with each other.

She looks ugly, Ikuto thought, still dazed from the door incident.

Amu gasped. "Y-you didn't..."

Kukai smiled weakly and tried to defuse the moment. "I don't exactly have dinner..." But failed.

"I'M UGLY?" Utau screamed, crying for real now.

What did I do? Was this someone that I dumped but don't remember? Ikuto tried to remember Utau, but everything in his vision was blurry, and he just couldn't remember...something in his memory called to him...

Just then, Ikuto was abruptly pulled back to earth. Utau had just slapped his face, hard.

"YOU DISAPPEAR FOR YEARS, APPARENTLY DIE, AND THEN COME BACK AND TELL ME I'M UGLY?"

All Ikuto could think then was...what?

* * *

Me: Hmmm...I "wonder" what's happening.

Ikuto: Stop joking, you know exactly what's happening.

Me: Well, yeah. You caught me. I just want to be able to explain things properly in the story...

Ikuto: HAHA! I caught you! *does victory dance*

Amu: We all seem OOC in this one.

Me: Not quite. You will become in character soon. Soon, Amu, soon...*creepy quiet evil chuckle* bwahahahaha...

Amu: Um...

Ikuto: *finishes victory dance* Oh yeah, was I ever in a closet?

Me: *rolls eyes* Yeah, Ikuto. The closet of your life.

Amu: What are you guys talking about?

Me: Well, I'm trying to make this chapter 1,000 words. Lame, I know.

Ikuto: Well...I'm not helping.

Me: Yes, you are. You're talking, which adds to the word count.

Ikuto: ...

Amu: Alright. Three cheers for...I don't know, the happiest event of your day, readers!

Me: Hip hip hooray! Not that anything happy happened to me today. And I give up on the word count thing.

So how about today...actually, this weekend I left my book at school in my locker! Fun fun. AND I need it to complete my project that's due when we get back to school. Exciting, isn't it? So I need to do this project using Sparknotes even though Sparknotes is...just dumb. I don't like it.

Hmmm...maybe Fahrenheit cheered me up a little. The band, I mean.

Oh well...hope you all had (and will have) a cheerful day!


	7. The Real Earth

Hello all! So...how are you?

Nah, XD, just kidding!

Well...so a lot of people DID review and tell me it was confusing! Some things were things that will be cleared up here, in this chapter.

Some things were...well, stupid. **On my part**. Like, I quote (sorry Little Angel of the Starz!):

"So Utau can read minds? Or was it Ikuto was saying that aloud? Or you forgot to use the " and "? I can't really tell. Or is it that everyone can read minds in this story? How come Utau can tell Ikuto called her ugly in his thoughts?"

And my reply?

"Ikuto was saying that out loud...sorry if that wasn't clear enough..."

So sorry if that wasn't clear! (Alter Ego: Actually, it wasn't clear at all.) Ikuto was just saying "she's ugly" out loud...

**Important Announcement:**(Alter Ego: Well...semi-important anyways. Me: Haha! See? Alter Ego says it's important too! Alter Ego: O/ / / / /O *kick* Shut up! I said SEMI-important!)

Well, anyways...Oh yeah!

The **Important Announcement: I will not be on FF during the summer for various reasons, including a vacation with no internet access and parents with no sense of privacy!**

Okay, I was kidding about the part with the parents...but really, I won't be on FanFiction during the summer. (Alter Ego: Stop bolding random stuff.) So...this will probably be my last update before the summer. On this story. Unless I randomly find some motivation before the summer.

So, after various deliberations and a swift kick to my butt, we shall continue with the story!

* * *

Recap~

What did I do? Was this someone that I dumped but don't remember? Ikuto tried to remember Utau, but everything in his vision was blurry, and he just couldn't remember...something in his memory called to him...

Just then, Ikuto was abruptly pulled back to earth. Utau had just slapped his face, hard.

"YOU DISAPPEAR FOR YEARS, APPARENTLY DIE, AND THEN COME BACK AND TELL ME I'M UGLY?"

All Ikuto could think then was...what?

End Recap~

Ikuto stared, his head finally clearing. "What are you talking about?" he asked this hysterical girl, irritated. "I've never seen you before in my life. Stop pretending you know me."

Utau's eyes widened, and she stopped crying momentarily. "What are YOU talking about? You were our childhood friend, weren't you?"

Amu nodded slowly. "Yeah...Ikuto, don't you remember anything?"

"How do you know my name?" Ikuto asked suspiciously.

Amu continued. "And you used to be nicer, too...not arrogant.

"But you vanished."

The words hung in the cold air between them and dissolved, swirling and flying away as silently as the snow outside.

Utau spoke up softly. "Where have you been?"

Ikuto roused himself, reminding himself that he had never seen these two girls before. Ever. "What are you talking about? I don't know who you are."

Kukai got up. (A/N: Remember him? XD) He smiled wanly, seeming suddenly old for his appearance in the pale moonlight. "I think...you should all come in. I need to explain something."

He walked over to the door and the other three watched him, frozen with revelation. He closed it softly, effectively shutting out the winter's bitter cold.

* * *

(A/N: Ooooh, finally some explanations! But Kukai doesn't know everything. Just more than the other three clueless people do. Some things are going to be revealed later.)

* * *

Amu and Utau took off their jackets and boots almost mechanically as they tried to process the information. Ikuto didn't remember them?

Ikuto just walked in, annoyed, and sat at a wooden rectangular table, facing Kukai. "What the ** is this all about, man?" he hissed.

Kukai shrugged, serious and solemn, and watched as Amu and Utau entered the room and also unconsciously sat facing Kukai. "I'll explain."

"Amu and Utau...you two are from a world called Dystopia."

They started. "Wait...aren't we from Earth?"

Kukai nodded. "But...Dystopia is a shard, a reflection of Earth.

"Ikuto, you're from Utopia, another reflection of Earth."

Frowing, Ikuto replied, "But assuming your theory is correct and we are from two reflections of the same world, where is the REAL Earth?"

Kukai shook his head. "Nobody knows. Some say the real Earth vanished after the second reflection, Dystopia, was born, and faded away. Others believe that the real Earth is still hidden somewhere. Some say that Dystopia and Utopia are two parts of a whole, reflecting each other to become the real Earth."

"But hold on," Utau interrupted. "If this is so, then why doesn't anybody from Dystopia know about Utopia, and the other way around?"

"It's a well-kept secret," Kukai replied with a sad smile. "Beyond that, there are gatekeepers."

"Who are...the gatekeepers?" Amu asked in a hushed voice, afraid to dispel the silence and surreality.

With the same little sad smile, Kukai began his story.

"Once, in the real Earth, a long time ago, people were strong. They were brave and not afraid to love.

"However, some were not afraid to hurt, either.

"The poor and ugly were separated from the rich and beautiful, into two areas: Dystopia and Utopia. Hurt and pain reigned, while good people suffered, afraid to speak out and be as brave as they once were.

"This alarmed some people and so some of us created a rebellion group. We had planned to overthrow this atrocious system."

"When you say 'we'..." Utau trailed off, afraid to ask any more.

Kukai nodded. "Yes. I was one of the true humans of real Earth, and a rebellious one at that."

"And that must mean you're..."

"Thousands of years old." Kukai continued with his story and Utau was shocked into silence.

"We attacked the government, but they were ready for us. They threw all their weaponry at us and we were massacred."

"I died."

All three collectively sucked in their breath for a moment, waiting for the next explanation.

Kukai looked away briefly, and back, pain evident in his eyes.

He continued, slowly and his voice sluggish with some old, remembered terror and sorrow. "I...When I got to God, or some force that we called God...he...offered me a choice.

"Go to an eternal paradise, or return to a world wracked with pain solely to fight?

"And coward that I was, I chose...eternal paradise."

Ikuto shut his eyes briefly, trying to imagine that everything his longtime friend was telling him...was true.

* * *

Me: Haha! So...how'd you all like it? Interesting, huh?

Ikuto: *rolling eyes* Yeah, plenty.

Me: Yes! I've been planning this idea for a really long time now!

Ikuto: Why do I only have 1 or 2 lines?

Me: Because...I wrote it like that.

Kukai: I have plenty of lines!

Amu: Yeah...

Me: I had a longer chapter than I normally do, actually...

Utau: Hey! Why is everyone in this chat except for me! No fair!

All except Utau: ...

Utau: You're excluding me again!

Me: Well, please review! Thanks again for reading!

Oh yeah, and did anybody notice in the last chapter that Kukai knew Utau's name, yet nobody ever introduced her? Hint hint, wink wink!

Does anybody want to help me come up with a name for my alter ego? Please PM me with ideas!


	8. Saving the World?

So...see, I've been noticing that the number of hits on my story has slowly...slowly...slowly...decreasing...

That happened with my other stories, too...I wonder if it's just one of those things. Does that ever happen to your stories?

Yayz! Actually, I lied last chapter. I'm probably going to upload this chapter before summer. If I don't...then, you'll never have known, will you? ;p

Well...I had actually typed this author's note before then accidentally x'd out...so it didn't save. T_T But anyways,

**ON WITH THE STORY!**

* * *

Recap~

Kukai looked away briefly, and back, pain evident in his eyes.

He continued, slowly and his voice sluggish with some old, remembered terror and sorrow. "I...When I got to God, or some force that we called God...he...offered me a choice.

"Go to an eternal paradise, or return to a world wracked with pain solely to fight?

"And coward that I was, I chose...eternal paradise."

Ikuto shut his eyes briefly, trying to imagine that everything his longtime friend was telling him...was true.

End Recap~

Kukai continued, obviously reliving the regret he had known at the time.

"I was in an eternal paradise known as Heaven, but still I was punished.

"I watched as comrade after comrade of mine refused the choice of Heaven. Some accepted it, but were forced to watch along with me.

"We could see them, but they couldn't see us. It was the ultimate punishement.

"The last person was...my first love. I watched, horrified, as she rejected Heaven and was sent back to Earth.

"After that, several of my former companions on Earth and now in Heaven went to God and begged to be let to Earth. After considering, he let us go."

"But..." one of the others prompted.

Kukai kept his face purposefully blank, forcedly emotionless. "There was...a catch.

"I couldn't ever...talk with associate with people unless I was truly, truly committed to starting a revolt. That...included my first love and my former comrades.

"I had to guard a gateway between Dystopia and Utopia, the two reflections I had found upon my return to Earth. I suppose my house is the gate, and assuming so neither part of Dystopia nor part of Utopia. Perhaps part of the real, old Earth.

"And..." Kukai closed his eyes and leaned back. "I had to keep my immortality, while the others who had initially refused Heaven...didn't."

Ikuto tried to lighten the mood. "Dude, but how cool is that? Forever young!"

Kukai looked at him. "Ikuto...you don't...understand. Immortality is a curse, yet a blessing. Because I watched my first love grow older, marry, and die.

"I was still young, like I would always be.

"I still loved her, Ikuto! And I watched her die! Do you have any idea of how painful that is?" Kukai asked Ikuto, passion for his love apparent, emotion breaking the surface of calm that Kukai had always appeared to have.

"And immortality...will end soon, for me." Kukai added.

"Why?"

"Because once I fulfill my duty on earth, I will return for Final Judgement with God."

"What is your duty to fulfill?" Amu asked. "And how do you know to do it now, and not before or after?"

Kukai leaned forward in his seat, completely serious. "Because...of Utau."

Utau shook. "Why because of me?"

Grimacing, Kukai explained. "When I made my deal with God, he said that he would send a signal to me, and that I would know exactly what to do once the signal came. Fulfill my duty, of course."

"But still..." Utau hesitated. "Why do you think I am the signal?"

"Ah, that." Kukai sighed, and rumpled his hair as he slid his head down to the table. He looked up and smiled helplessly. "You look exactly like her."

"Like who?"

Kukai turned his face down into the crook of his arm as if embarrased, if immortal teenagers could get embarrassed.

And sure enough, when he looked up again, his face was red.

As if he had remembered something from the past.

Some far away, long ago past.

"That is..." he cleared his throat unneccessarily, as if stalling for time. Which he was, of course, avoiding the subject. "You..."

"You...?" Amu prompted.

"You look like my first love!" Kukai blurted out, though muffled against his arm, afraid to face Utau after he had revealed something so embarrassing. Especially for an immortal.

"What?" Utau exclaimed, surprised. "I...what?" She repeated herself, disbelieving her own ears.

Torn between amusement and pity for his old friend whom he had thought he had known for so long, but didn't, Ikuto merely twisted his face into a pitiful smile. "Kukai, I think you could have done better," he jokingly replied.

Utau growled at him playfully and shook a threatening fist. "Don't make me hit you again, bub."

Kukai finally got up, the chair scraping behind him on the wooden floor. The red on his face had subsided, but a little pink still colored his cheeks, a remnant of the embarrassment he had felt before.

"By the way, her name was Utau, too," Kukai added, glancing at Utau. "That's why...I knew your name without you ever telling me."

Utau raised her eyebrows, unsure of what to make of this situation. Grasping for a subject to change the topic to, she pounced on an earlier aspect of the conversation.

"So...what is this duty of yours, anyways?"

Kukai grinned, his discomfort easing away. "You guys will be helping me, of course."

"All of us?" Amu asked worriedly, timid.

"Yeah, all of you. And as for my 'duty', well...I guess, in one sense, save the world."

* * *

Ikuto: Has anyone ever heard of the song "If It's Love" by Train? Yeah, I thought not.

Me: Hey, I wanted to start the chat!

Ikuto: *sticks tongue out* Well...too bad.

Alter Ego: Haha, I have to stick with Ikuto on this one, Tokyo.

Me: ? ? Since when does my alter ego appear in the chat?

Ikuto and Alter Ego: Since now.

Me: Okay...well...some updates!

1. I did lie last time. But this time...I'm NOT kidding! THIS IS THE LAST CHAP OF THIS STORY BEFORE SUMMER VACATION. We have literally 2 more days of school left. 2. MORE. DAYS! Well, you can tell I'm excited.

2. Well, school ending was supposed to be the second one. Moving on...

3. YokoTenshi-chan has suggested a name for my alter ego: Japan. Hmmm...I don't know. Readers, would you like to take a vote? Japan vs. Other suggestion.

4. Umm...I wasn't sure how this chapter would turn out. The cliffie didn't turn out so well either.

5. Okay, please review and have fun over your summer break! ^_^


	9. In Which Ikuto Falls Asleep

Hello all! Okay, so recently I went onto Onemanga after a WHOLE SUMMER of seclusion from being online. (Alter Ego: Exaggerations, exaggerations...tsk tsk.)

Well anyways, so as many of you probably know already, Onemanga is gone. This is how it played out:

(reading the note on the site) Oh, okay. Onemanga's gone. Wait, Onemanga's gone? _Onemanga's GONE?_ **ONEMANGA. IS. GONE!**

And a whole pattern of grief, yadda yadda, after that. But really.

Onemanga. Is. Gone.

...I just...can't...accept it...

By the way, I'll be posting this note for each of the chapters of my stories I'm going to publish, so...yeah. Just a heads up.

On with the story! (By the way, I uploaded a chapter of The Art of Stealing Donuts, for those of you who read it.)

* * *

Recap~

"So...what is this duty of yours, anyways?"

Kukai grinned, his discomfort easing away. "You guys will be helping me, of course."

"All of us?" Amu asked worriedly, timid.

"Yeah, all of you. And as for my 'duty', well...I guess, in one sense, save the world."

End Recap~

"Whaaaat?" Utau screeched, her palms slamming into the table.

Kukai nodded, unmoved. "Uh-huh."

Amu visibly struggled to calm herself. "So...what is it that we're doing?"

Kukai considered. "I forget."

This time Amu joined Utau. "WHAAAAT?"

Ikuto raised his hands. "Dude, you lost me."

Kukai sighed. "When 'God' told me about this mission of mine, I had no idea it would take this long to receive the signal. So I tried to remember, but forgot until I saw you, Utau."

Utau blushed. "But-but how could you forget such a thing?"

"I was consumed by grief, and forgot everything."

"Huh?"

"Just kidding. You didn't think I would actually say such a sappy line, did you?"

They all just looked confusedly at Kukai.

He sighed again. "Never mind. I just forgot, okay? It was such a long time ago."

"But how will we know what to do?"

"Give me a minute." Kukai sat down again, this time on his couch, thinking and apparently in great concentration.

Then he scratched his nose.

"Dude!" That was Ikuto. "Please, keep your mind on the issue on hand! Saving the world, remember?"

"Oh. Is Utau the signal that we're supposed to find a way to restore old Earth?" Kukai asked, apparently not remembering their previous conversation.

"Uh..."

Kukai remembered. "Oh! Forgive me. I'm senile, okay? I'm thousands of years old. I'm decrepit," he said, miming walking along with a cane and hunched over back like an old man.

Ikuto laughed. "Who says forgive me anymore?"

Kukai laughed too. "Me, apparently."

They turned around and Amu and Utau were looking at them weirdly.

"Boys," huffed Utau finally, sitting down again. "Now, what's all this about restoring old Earth?"

"Weeeeell," said Kukai slowly, drawing out the word. "I guess it's to join Dystopia and Utopia back together."

"How do we do that?"

"Um...well, a side note here," Kukai smile awkwardly, changing the subject, "Utau, who did you think Ikuto was when you first saw him?"

Utau thought, considering Kukai's question rolling her answer in her throat before answering. (A/N: Alter Eg: Now, that's not a weird description at all...) "I...he..."

She cleared her throat. "He was our childhood friend..."

"And he disappeared," Amu finished for her.

Kukai was still smiling, a sad little smile, but not smug. "And is he?" At this he turned to Ikuto.

Ikuto shook his head slowly, still processing. "No...At least, I don't think so..."

"And so he's not." Kukai addressed them all collectively.

"He's not."

"No. He's from Utopia, where everything is perfect," Kukai affirmed with a slight edge in his voice and possibly sarcasm.

"Then why does he look exactly like our Ikuto?" Amu asked tentatively.

Ikuto was still thinking, reaching back into parts of his memory that he hadn't touched in a long time, in order to bring up images of..._her._ The incident.

And then, suddenly, images came. Things he remembered.

Flashback~

_She laughed, beckoning to him with her free hand. "Come on, Ikuto! Why are you so slow?"_

_He mock-pouted in protest. "I am not slow!"_

_Another girl started laughing too. "Ikuto, are you really pouting?"_

_But the faces in his memory were blurred somehow: the closer he tried to look at their faces, the farther away they seemed._

Then: a limp body, an expression halfway from laughing to horror frozen on a face he knew well.

End Flashback~

Ikuto came back to reality, gasping heavily for breath.

They all glanced at him, as if his flashback had taken only a moment and not several minutes like he'd thought it taken.

Utau touched his arm gently. "Ikuto. Are you - are you okay?"

"What does it look like, I'm okay?" Ikuto snapped back. Utau cringed, pulling away.

Then he slumped, putting his face into his hands. "I - I don't know, okay? I didn't mean to yell at you."

When Ikuto looked up, he saw Kukai looking at him. "What?" he asked, unnerved by Kukai's staring.

"Um..." Kukai scratched his head. "What did you...did you see anything?"

"Two girls."

"Really?" Utau frowned. "Couldn't that be us, then? I mean, if you forgot about us."

"Um..." Now it was Ikuto's turn. "I don't remember. I mean, I couldn't see their faces."

"Ikuto. Utau. Amu." Kukai addressed them all in turn. "Listen to me."

"Yeah?" They all turned to him, still looking unhappy and confused, Ikuto still a little scared.

"How do I put this..." Kukai muttered. "You guys, well, you know how Earth fractured into Dystopia and Utopia?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, there are two of each person. As in one from Dystopia and one from Utopia."

"WHAT?"

"Yup." Kukai grinned.

"So this Ikuto from our childhood..."

"Is actually not this one," Kukai affirmed, nodding his head.

"Oh wait," Kukai added, thinking, "there are exceptions to the rule.

"Like me, the gatekeepers, and important people."

"Like who?"

Kukai looked unimpressed. "You don't know who pulls the strings?"

"Who pulls what strings?"

He sighed. "Well, you have presidents, right?"

"Yeah."

"Well with 'important' people, except they're not the really important ones, they all have a double in the other fragment too.

"Except the really important ones, they don't. They're the ambassadors to the other fragment."

"Wait..." Amu frowned. "So all this time, higher ups have known about the other fragment but haven't told us?"

"Yup."

"Why not?"

"I don't know. Some kind of power play, I guess."

"Huh." That was Ikuto, putting his arms behind his head. "Well, I don't know about you guys, but I'm beat. I'm going to - to - " He yawned and started snoring.

* * *

Kukai: That was interesting.

Utau: Yeah.

Amu: Yup.

Ikuto: *snore*

Me: Well, I couldn't find a good way to end the chapter, so I just stopped the pointless dialogue.

Alter Ego: Yeah, people don't like this story anyways.

Me: HEY!

Ikuto: *snort, roll over*

All: Um...

Well, review, folks! I hope you enjoyed it. I certainly did not enjoy typing all of that, and I want MORE ACTION!

Alter Ego: What kind of author doesn't even know how the story's going to end?

Ikuto: *wakes up* What? What did I miss?

**OKAY, GUYS (and girls): NANOWRIMO IS ON! HURRY UP AND WRITE YOUR NOVEL BEFORE NOVEMBER ENDS! Thank you. *bows* Oh, and review. :)**


End file.
